Experian releases data breach industry forecast

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Experian Data Breach Resolution has released its second annual data breach industry forecast to help executives plan ahead.

According to the forecast, preventing and managing data breaches have become two of the highest priorities facing businesses today. This latest forecast highlights legislative and medical identity theft topics as well.

Many evolving factors such as new threats, regulatory changes and technological advances make the data breach landscape difficult to navigate.

After handling more than 3,000 data breaches this year and with a decade of experience in the industry, Experian Data Breach Resolution will share six key predictions in the white paper.

“It has been an explosive year with an increase in the number of data breaches and identity theft cases over last year, so we are sharing our perspectives with the industry to help businesses navigate this complex environment,” said Michael Bruemmer, vice president at Experian Data Breach Resolution. “It is more important than ever for companies to prepare for a data breach and stay ahead of the game.”

According to the paper, the expanding number of access points to Protected Health Information (PHI) and other sensitive data via electronic medical records and the growing popularity of wearable technology make the healthcare industry a vulnerable and attractive target for cybercriminals.

Several factors suggest the healthcare industry will continue to be plagued with data breach headlines in 2015.

“The growing number of vulnerabilities and the sheer size of the healthcare industry led to an increase in widely publicized security incidents this year, representing about 42 percent of all major data breaches reported in 2014 ,” said Bruemmer. “We expect this number will continue to grow until the industry comes up with a stronger solution to improve its cybersecurity strategies